L.A. - "Keeping it Real" with Larry Johnson
Street Talk was on-hand at the 3 rd Annual Dekalb County All-Star baseball game and was able to spend a moment with former Towers High School’s multi-talented; multi sports star Larry Johnson (6-3, 220). Johnson and I got a chance to “Keep it Real” just before he was about to take the field as the starting pitcher for the South All-Stars.
L.A.: “Now you are heading to Troy State on a football scholarship; are you going to be playing baseball also when you get to college?”
LJ: “Yes Sir, they put it in writing that I could play baseball in the spring”
L.A.: “Do you prefer one sport over the other?”
LJ: “I have been playing baseball since I was about 4 years old and football has kind of just started taking over”
L.A.: “How long have you been playing football?”
LJ: “I started playing in the 10th grade but I didn’t start until my junior year.”
L.A.: “How would you describe your career at Towers?”
LJ: “Baseball wise; when you have a loosing record they look at your stats and if you have good stats you are looked at as a leader but it still reflects on you when you have a loosing record it kind of looks bad on you.”
“Football wise my junior year was the first time that I started and we went 3-7 and had a bad season so that was the down side, but this year we went 8-2 and made the playoff and I had a good year and was Blessed to get a scholarship after only 2 years of playing.”
L.A.: “Who have been some of the most influential people in your life”?
LJ: ”My mama Cathy Johnson and my dad Larry Johnson, my sister Nikki Williams, one of my coaches Rodney Simmons; but mostly my dad because he has been with me through the whole recruiting process and helped me through a lot of it.”
L.A.: “During your career who have been some of the toughest players or teams you have had to play against; in either sport?”
LJ: “In football McNair, in baseball P.J. Phillips from Redan, I went and scouted him against Kell High School, he went 0-3 but they were all good hits but Kell’s team just made some good plays. So when we played them he went 3-3 against me, he’s a real good hitter and a solid athlete.
L.A: “What positions do you anticipated playing or what positions would you like to play when you get to college?”
L.J.: “In football, tight-end; because I think I can do more from that spot than at wide-receiver. In baseball pitching.”
L.A: (Laughing) “It doesn’t hurt to have former Tucker High School all-star D.T. McDowell down there to throw you the ball either”
L.J.: “No it doesn’t, when I went down to the spring game he looked real good and polished, unfortunately in baseball he can’t play because he signed a contract.” On my visit to the campus he was my host and we developed a real good relationship.”
L.A.: “I’m going to throw out some word comparisons and I want you to choose one”
L.A.: “Nike, Reebok or Adidas?”
L.J.: “Nike”
L.A.: “Sean John or Roca-Wear?”
L.J.: “Roca-Wear”
L.A.: “Escalade, Denali, Corvette, Mercedes or Ferrari?”
L.J.: “Denali”
L.A.: Hollie Berry, Bianca or Janet Jackson
L.J.: “Hollie Berry”
L:A.: “Larry, Good Luck at Troy State and keep Representing”
L.J.: “Thanks, Mr. Williams”
If you want to “Keep it Real" on Street Talk …holla at me
This is Larry “L.A.” Williams …PEACE!
